Melissa Fensterstock aspires to help shape the future of human and planetary health, having interests in frontier technology, from agtech and space tech to brain-machine interfaces, and assisting early-stage companies in translating innovations across academic settings to commercial scale. She’s enjoyed an extensive career as an operator, showcasing her passion for developing and commercializing early-stage scientific innovations.

At Material Impact Fund, she brings a unique mix of scientific and business acumen applicable at strategic and tactical levels. As CEO of Landsdowne Labs, an MIT spin-out co-founded with Robert Langer, Melissa transformed an academic concept to market-ready status. This included executing a global partnership with one of the world’s largest metal and mining companies, receiving an NSF grant, raising venture capital investment, and developing legislation around child safety.

Melissa serves as executive in residence at Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University, Yale University, and ClimateHaven, is a Trustee of Connecticut Public, and is a Milken Young Leadership Circle member. Previously, she’s worked in the life science sector as a consumer product leader, running corporate development for a publicly traded biotechnology company, and launching therapeutic companies from Columbia University and Johns Hopkins University.

In her free time, Melissa enjoys reading, painting, blind wine tasting, and culinary travel adventures. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and two sons.